ROBERTA BHASIN is the author of Mastering Management - A Guide for Technical Professionals which is published by Miller Freeman Inc. She also conducts seminars and speaks on management for technical professionals.

Communicating with employees

These results are interesting because there is an apparent lack of recognition that it is employees who increase revenue, increase productivity, and reduce costs. Companies that have “concern for and relations with” employees are more likely to have better results.

Employees say time and time again in surveys that they need to have certain kinds of information. Chief among the topics:

• Information required in order to do the job

• Knowledge of where their job, division, and department fit into the overall scheme of things

• Information about company direction.

There are many ways to express concern for employees and to improve relationships with them. Most have to do with communication. Here are some thoughts:

FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION. Information is most appreciated when it comes from the supervisor in face-to-face communication situations. The wise supervisor meets with the entire staff on a regular basis. If shifts or widely dispersed work locations make this impossible, it is important for the supervisor to get out among employees in small groups or individually. Also, the communication needs to be two-way. It is important to do as much listening as speaking. If complaints occur, try to find reasonable ways to address them, but don’t promise what you can’t deliver.

Face-to-face supervisory communication should be supplemented with other approaches to reinforce the messages, particularly those that deal with the broader organization. Occasional larger town-hall meetings with senior executives are effective ways for them to connect with employees, particularly because they feature opportunities for questions and answers. Large companies with far-flung facilities might consider a live satellite link for these sessions, or simply take the executives on the road.

NONVERBAL MESSAGES. Obviously adequate pay, good benefits, and a safe, pleasant working environment are important. These are nonverbal communications that speak volumes. Not sending the right messages becomes a source of poor employee relations, and of equally abundant feedback ranging from poor performance, poor attitudes, and complaints to disruptive labor disputes.

EMPLOYEE PUBLICATIONS. Employee publications are another avenue for dialogue. They are a better read when they include a “speak out” employee editorial and opportunities for letters to the editor. It can be specified that these are on current, relevant company topics, are of a certain length, are subject to edits, and so on. These kinds of features would be in addition to stories about current organizational developments, new products, what various departments and divisions do, and so on. Question-and-answer columns are also useful, or simply lists of contact names and numbers in a “Who Can You Call About....?” type of feature.

Publications can also be used effectively for employee recognition. An employee of the month can be recognized with a photo and short description, as could a department, division, or crew of the month. Supervisors should consider going further by presenting these awards at staff meetings or other public gatherings, framing the article and presenting it to the employee, and sending a copy to his/her family or even to the local newspaper.

ELECTRONIC TOOLS. Many organizations supplement (or even replace) a monthly printed newsletter with weekly or daily electronic bulletins. A question or discussion topic can be introduced and handled electronically. Links to individuals who are asking for information can be included, as could links to appropriate places on the company’s intranet or Web site, or even relevant external sites. The bulletins are especially useful for the “who,” “what,” “when,” and “where” type of information; the less frequent publications can be more in-depth on the “why” and “how.”

Other electronic communication tools, while sometimes more expensive, can also be used to supplement supervisory communication. These include videotapes, audiotapes, and CDs. Also consider special publications, calendars, posters, and other giveaways for short messages or recognition. As with any relationship, just think about how you want to be kept informed as an employee—then do unto yours.